


The Cost of Safety

by Godsliltippy



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Attempted Murder, F/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24341866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Godsliltippy/pseuds/Godsliltippy
Summary: Siiiiiiiiiiiigh.......This was a challenge from my husband.......I tried so hard to say no.......But....Summary: Brains will do anything to keep his friends safe.
Relationships: Penelope Creighton-Ward/Gordon Tracy
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	The Cost of Safety

It was never supposed to go this far.

He hadn't planned on taking so many measures to do his job - to keep the Tracys safe. 

It was effective, to say the least. 

The Hood had been simple enough once he had pinned down a location and just the right incentive. 

Brains was a genius after all, so he had kept it simple. Offer the villain the chance to personally acquire new technology that would make him wealthy.

And then detonate the device. 

Threat neutralized.

The news networks had called it an accident waiting to happen. The world knew the Hood for the villain he was. His death wouldn't be questioned. 

Even the Tracys had shown a level of relief and he reveled in it. A job well done.

But - once again - Langstrom Fischler had reared his incompetent head. The peace that had come from the demise of the Hood had been disturbed by yet another of the scientist's misplaced experiments. 

Virgil and Gordon had responded, the man having created an ocean craft that was supposed to be a luxury cruiser that could transform into a submarine. Fischler's poorly conceived design had nearly led to the deaths of all those on board, if not for international rescue. Gordon had secured the ship with the help of Thunderbird 4, Virgil keeping it from falling any farther underwater with grapples from Two.

The people had been picked up by another ship and were supposed to be taken to port - lucky fools who had invest in the wrong man.

And then the ship - the disaster - exploded. 

Four was crippled. 

Gordon nearly drowned.

Brains had a new task to fulfill.

While Gordon recovered with his brothers by his side, the scientist researched Langstrom and one of his other endeavors. Another vehicle - flying car - entirely plausible if not for who had created it. A few tweaks to the onboard coding and the thing slammed into the ground after reaching five hundred feet. 

They would never have to deal with the man's incompetence again. 

His next target had actually been to appease his own desires. Francois Lemaire. The man's book had shown up in the mail run, signed in all of his superiority. It had incensed him upon reading through the section about the solar cathera. There had been nothing about the danger he had put them in, not a word about the damage done. It was the gloating of a man who thought too much of himself and nothing of the lives he put in harm's way.

It hadn't taken too much encouragement to plan an accident. The Lemaires were responsible for putting the Tracys and himself in danger more than once. The 'how' became a challenge. They weren't as reckless as Fischler, only investing time into historical events. 

They did enjoy an annual trip into space, however. Brains had waited months for their ship to be readied, designing a similar code that would trigger one of the airlocks to malfunction. It had been a quick death for the couple, but not unexpected.

The next challenge, however, the scientist found himself initiating a plan to deal with yet another couple, but one of the variables had changed. Gordon was there. 

The Pendergasts sought trouble and that was what he would give them, but he hadn't expected the aquanaut to be joining them on their recent episode shooting. An adventure with their number one fan - that's what they had called it. Egotistical lunatics. 

They were going to get his friend killed.

There was a problem, though. The plan was already in motion and there was nothing Brains could do to stop it. The suit - his design - was the only thing that could protect Gordon. It had to.

Leave it to the blonde to defy the odds. 

Brains had watched and waited anxiously through the open feed in Gordon's belt, noting the time as his mole made it to the desired area. A sinkhole was the plan. Trap them in the middle of nowhere with no way to save themselves. It had worked for the most part, the couple falling into the earth to suffocate. Gordon had responded immediately, calling for backup that wouldn't get there in time. 

Brains had listened to the steady stream of hope as the aquanaut dug out the woman first, her lungs filling defiantly with oxygen. Her husband wasn't so lucky. 

Gordon had tried to free him, but the mole had done its job too well. As the dirt shifted, the sinkhole grew, ensuring Buddy's demise, but swallowing up his friend in the process. Brains had been frantic at that point, trying desperately to reprogram his device, but it was already heading towards the sea for self-destruction. There would be no way for him to rescue Gordon. 

In the end, his helmet had saved him, keeping the dirt from blocking his airway. Physically, he was bruised and his muscles would be sore. Mentally - there was nothing to be done for the dark mood that had taken hold of the aquanaut. He'd lost someone he had cared about. They'd been forced to listen to Elli Pendergast wail and cry as Virgil pulled her husband's lifeless body from the earth. 

That was the price, however. 

Brains knew the cost of his job. He would keep all of them safe. Gordon would get over his emotions and come to understand that their world would be a little less hectic. It would all be worth it.

Another miscalculation. 

Lady Penelope responded to the dilemma the family now faced. She took Gordon - away from the safety of the island. Brains couldn't comprehend why until he had overheard a communication between herself and Scott. He wasn't meant to hear it, but he had - ever aware of the goings-on. 

Deliberate attacks, she had called them. Her Ladyship was investigating the deaths of Buddy and the Lemaires. She had yet to connect them to Fischler or the Hood as those two had excelled in ending their own existence. Gordon would be staying with her, focusing his grief into a purpose. 

No - they couldn't figure it out. There was just too much at stake. The question, now, what should he do about it.

He couldn't kill her - could he? She was part of the family.

A thought. A pause to deliberate.

No, not a member - a resource. They needed her to gather information, but now she was becoming a threat. They could find the information they needed. Once she was out of the way, he could redirect his attention to encompass manipulation. He could control the GDF. He could manage society. All he needed was this island. 

The Tracys would stay safe. 

Decision made, all that was left was to execute a plan.

OoOoOoO

Acceptance - Gordon had been forced to confront that word too many times in his life. This time wasn't much different than the last, but Penelope had helped. She was still helping as she sat down beside him, a plate of pastries and a hot cup of tea passed to him as they viewed the countryside behind her estate. It was beautiful and so was she. He found her to be the exact distraction he needed and he wondered if that had been her intention. 

"Your brothers called," she started, her voice hesitant. 

Gordon smiled, taking a sip of the tea before giving the expected answer, "Virgil still worrying?" 

"Not as much as Scott," she gave him a knowing smile. He hadn't even had to ask. His eldest brother never stopped worrying, but it was disheartening to know his co-pilot was in the same boat. Virgil had outlets that Scott just didn't, but when it came to Gordon, his second eldest seemed to need further reassurances. 

"I guess that's good," he tried to sound brighter than he felt, earning a smile from the woman. That alone seemed to make it easier and he sank back into the settee cushions, content to just be next to her.

"They also said Brains is going to be stopping by later today," this was a warning to see if he was ready. Why would that be an issue? Brains wouldn't ask him a million questions or encourage him to talk. 

"That's nice. What's the occasion?" That was the only thing that seemed to stick to his mind.

"He's on his way to meet with a colleague. Something about a project he's working on," Penelope shifted her teacup around, but didn't lift it to her lips, instead, continuing the news. "He's bringing some supplies as well."

His brow rose at that. There wasn't much they needed at the Creighton-Ward manor, but he didn't question it. Knowing the scientist, it was probably something to help them with their research. 

Speaking of -

"Any reply about the anomaly?" They had requested the black box information from Lemaire's ship and found an odd break in the computer system. They had sent it to John for review and Gordon was certain his brother would come back with something. 

"John has EOS looking into it, but she has some concerns," Penelope frowned. "It seems the anomaly is a void. She's not able to see anything that should have been there."

"That's not great," his own mood met hers.

"It does let us know we're on the right path, though," her smile was back, the tea covering it for just a moment. It had the desired effect as he returned to his own, grabbing a pastry as his appetite screamed at him to consume something worth eating.

"So, we have part of the 'how', we just need to find the why and who?" Gordon asked before taking a bite of the light and buttery treat. 

A nod, "Which is what we get to do today if luck holds out."

"You make it sound easy," he laughed sullenly, wishing it were just that. All they had were homicides of three people, two of which were together. They would need to find a link and it didn't seem plausible that it was simply because they were married. 

"I've got my ways," a glint of sapphire sent a shiver up his spine. "It might be quite a bit of talking, though. Are you sure you want to stick around for that?"

Gordon could listen to her talk for hours, "Oh yeah, I'm sure."

They fell into a companionable silence as they went back to their midmorning tea and watched the dull colors of the sun shining through the clouds.

By lunch, they had made most of the calls Penelope could. They'd learned a few things, but most important was that both couples had dealings with international rescue.

Researching further back, they realized there were other incidents that had befallen people he and his family had dealt with. It was oddly numbing. Death had found five people, some of whom had ill intent, but that didn't warrant murder.

They were still reeling from the information when the knock sounded at the door and Parker entered the room followed by Brains. Gordon shot his friend a tired smile.

"Hey, Brains."

"Gordon, it's good to s-see you," the scientist wasn't fond of hugs and fortunately for him, the aquanaut wasn't in a hugging mood. It seemed his friend had picked up on that fact, "Is everything alright?"

"Unfortunately, no," Penelope stepped in to offer what they had found. In the process of revealing the news, Gordon watched the shock pass over the scientist's face. 

"Unbelievable," the growl was unexpected, but not misplaced. The idea of someone targeting people saved by iR was terrible. 

"I know you must be anxious to get to your work, but can we get you anything?" Ever the hostess, she redirected the subject.

"Oh, no thank y-you," Brains returned her smile before producing a case. "I just wanted to drop off s-some upgrades for Fab1."

At this, Parker practically beamed, stepping forward to accept the package, "Much h'obliged, sir."

"Yes, thank you, Brains. I'm sure it will help greatly," Penelope seemed almost as pleased as her chauffeur. Gordon felt his own delight in that, happy to see the agent's affect brighten. They were dealing with dark information and any bit that made the day more bearable was welcome. 

The scientist didn't stay long, as expected, leaving the group to their tasks. Gordon was thankful that those tasks were completed quickly, leaving a bit more leisure time for himself and Penelope. His head had started to ache with everything they had learned and a break was appropriate. That had led to a series of laps in the indoor pool to relieve the building stress, coming to a stop to rest on the edge. 

His eyes found Penelope perched on a lounger, her swimsuit on, yet she hadn't made it into the water. He highly doubted she would, but Gordon appreciated the intent. 

"All finished?" She queried as she looked up from projections of her compact. 

"Yeah, just gonna float for a bit," his muscles were tired and he was perfectly content to stay where he was - watching her. She absolutely noticed, a light blush gracing her cheeks before she smiled, fully intent on reading the data before her. 

They stayed this way until he nearly fell asleep, waking as his face fell into the water. Penelope had deemed it time to get ready for supper, which had involved a shower, clean clothes and a home cooked meal that took most of the evening. 

"Goodnight, Gordon," Penelope had escorted him to the door of his room and for a terrifying moment, Gordon realized this was about to be the first time today he would be alone. He wouldn't show the way that thought sent his heart hammering in his chest, returning her smile with a steady one. 

"Have a good evening," before he could disappear into the guestroom, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, the sensation sending a thrill through his chest. 

As she rocked back on her heels and away from him, she pulled a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, "I'll see you in the morning."

And then she was gone, the hall quiet as Gordon wondered how their next day would go. She certainly made him feel better. Maybe a few more days here and they would have the answers they needed to bring justice to the person responsible for the deaths they had discovered. He hoped so, for Buddy, for Ellie, and for himself. 

OoOoOoO

His heart rate was steady, breathing, even. Brains knew his plan would succeed, but that didn't stop the small ache of regret. This would be another blow to the aquanaut, but his safety was of utmost importance. The scientist understood that, which made activating his robot that much easier. 

The case had held upgrades for the pink Roles Royce that he'd been hanging onto until he was ready to test them. This was an ideal time for it, but Brains highly doubted Lady Penelope would care after tonight. 

A small compartment that lined the outside of the case popped open and a spider-like device emerged, it's pinpoint legs tapping on the marble countertop. Brains flicked the controls, closing the hatch before sending the robot down the counter and towards his intended target. 

The darkness that engulfed the manor was the indication he needed to know that the residents should be asleep. With any luck, no one would suspect anything wrong until morning. He would be long gone by then. 

The thought of Gordon going to find the woman he cared about, dead for hours, gave him pause. The robot continued on, however. The job was still of top priority. No, he was letting himself think of Moffie. Would he feel the same if the roles were reversed? If she were killed to keep him safe? 

A beat.

A tear for the simple connection, but in an instant it was gone. Replaced by the ends justifying the means. Gordon would get to live because her Ladyship would never be allowed to learn about his previous acts. 

It was worth the cost.

The spider scurried around a corner, scaling a staircase to the halls that held the bedrooms. Brains only knew Lady Penelope's location from necessity. He had designed part of their new security system after the previous break-in after all. 

Last door on the right. 

His device slid under the door with ease, the camera giving Brains a crisp image of the elegant room. A small, plush dog bed held a sleeping Sherbert, the pug unaware of the object that had infiltrated his owner's space. He wasn't above dealing with it if the dog awoke, however. It would simply make the procedure a deal more complicated.

Silently, the robot made its way over the floor and to the edge of the bed, climbing up the plush comforter. All he needed to do was find her face and inject the chemical into her mouth. It would be impossible to find if you didn't know what to look for - simple, effective. 

The comforter lay over the woman's form and Brains easily avoided sending his creation over her, finding the pillow her head lay against. Lady Penelope was still, well into the REM sleep as her eyes twitched under her lids. He wondered what she might be dreaming about, but pushed the thought aside as he moved the spider closer. 

A shame it had to be this way.

Brains activated the chemical release - a hand filling his view as the robot was jerked away from his target. There was a resounding shout that sent the room into action, but he couldn't see.

What Brains heard was enough to send his heart plummeting.

"Gordon? What are you doing here? Gordon, what's wrong?" Her concern was followed by the sound of the younger man falling to the floor, the robot tumbling from his hand.

There was only one thing running through the scientist's mind now. 

_ What have I done? _

OoOoOoO

He'd woken in the unfamiliar room, gasping for air as the images of the nightmare began to fade, the thick dirt that had covered his face and filled his nose dissipating with each breath.

He couldn't stop shaking, though.

Gordon ripped the blanket off of himself, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the thick material. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge, his face fell into his hands, fighting to calm his racing heart and the emotions that threatened to take over. 

_ Just a dream - _

The words echoed in his mind, but they did little to quiet the ache in his chest.

Because it hadn't been a dream - not then. Buddy was dead and he couldn't do anything to stop it. His friend had suffocated under too much dirt.

And just as quickly as he had woken, Gordon was on his feet, stumbling to the door. His chest felt tight, lungs refusing to cooperate. The door bounced off the wall and he was moving without thinking to find her room. He needed her more than anything at this very moment. 

Numb fingers found the knob, turning the ancient metalwork until he heard the latch pull free and he pushed the door open. Part of his brain was telling him to calm down, that he was going to scare her. That was enough to refocus him -

\- onto the thing creeping towards her face.

Instinct was all Gordon had as he ran forward and grabbed it, crying out as something sharp jabbed into his palm. Almost instantly, a numbness shot up his arm, the sensation making his limb sluggish as he tried to reach for the offending object.

Penelope was awake, the light by her bed cutting on as she sat up, blue eyes questioning his appearance. He wanted to explain, to show her what he had rescued her from, but the numbing ache had made its way to his face, mouth bobbing with the fight to find words. He fell a moment later. 

The ground was hard, but at least he couldn't fall again with the room spinning the way it was. The blue eyes returned as Penelope bent over him, her shouts muffled by the blood rushing past his ears. She seemed to be yelling at him, but then she would glance up and her mouth would open in a dull, whimsical roar of urgency. 

No one came though - not for the first agonizing minute where Gordon wondered if this was how he died. Part of him was upset. The idea of growing old with the woman trying to talk to him had sounded amazing. It was worth living for.

Maybe it was too wild a dream, especially in his line of work, yet here he was, dying on her floor. 

She was still with him, at least.

Parker showed up after the minute mark and Gordon had already lost feeling in his top half. That wasn't good and he knew it. His body was shutting down, reacting to whatever was in his system. 

Amber, brimming with moisture, found Penelope, locking onto her as she spoke to a hologram floating in her hand. Deep down, Gordon knew who it was, but his brain had started failing. 

And then, another person entered the room, shadowed and fast. They were on top of him in seconds, stabbing something sharp into his neck. 

Why would Penelope let anyone do that? 

Why had everyone stopped moving?

A pulse… another … The beat ran through his neck and increased as Gordon slowly realized he could feel the thud of his own heart. It spread over his shoulder and down his arm, across his chest. It replaced the disembodying numbness, a steady ache setting his nerves on end.

But he could think clearer than a moment ago. He could see the shock on Penelope's face and the confusion on Parker's. 

And the relief on Brains'. 

Followed immediately by anger.

"The poison has been n-neutralized," Gordon watched the scientist replace the syringe back into a case he'd set by his side.

Something in this situation felt wrong, but his mind was still sluggish. Amber eyes found the one person he knew would have the answers, Penelope still watching their friend with a visage of disbelief.

"Brains," she kept her voice even as she spoke. "What are you doing here?"

The scientist didn't turn to her, his eyes still locked on the aquanaut, "Every time." The growl was low as though he were only talking to Gordon, "Always getting in the way. Why can't you just stay safe?"

With a strained grunt, the aquanaut pushed himself up on his elbows, Parker shifting to help him the rest of the way up. "What? Brains, I don't understand."

It seemed the man was done talking, but he didn't need to elaborate. Penelope already had enough, "Brains, did you send that here?" She was pointing to the robot that lay motionless by his side. The scientist nodded. "With a poison - to kill someone?"

He didn't nod this time, brown eyes sinking to the floor, "My job - my entire p-purpose is to keep the Tracys safe." Brains finally looked back up at Gordon, "I couldn't do that if you - if Lady Penelope had found out -"

"Found out what?" His heart continued to thrum in his chest. 

Again, Penelope answered for his friend, "It was you - you killed the Hood, Fischler -"

Brains didn't refute the claim, shrinking where he knelt on the floor and Gordon suddenly didn't want her to continue. He didn't want to hear about the others - could process the thought that Brains was responsible.

"I'm sorry - but it had to be d-done."

No - Gordon's mind was suddenly consumed with anger and pain at the unapologetic tone, "No, it didn't. Hurting people - killing people is never okay!"

Brown eyes flashed up at the outburst, pinning him with a cold certainty, "And that is not logical. Your family is important. You save m-more people than anyone had ever expected, inc-cluding your father. Losing just one of you could cost thousands their lives." Lips thinning to control his anger, Brains didn't waver as he spoke, "A handful of people who put your lives at risk - the world is a better place without them."

His mouth felt dry as Gordon listened to the justification of killing - Brains had caused Buddy's death. It made sense that he was responsible for the Lemaires. But - "You can't make that decision -"

"But I can," cold, calculating, Brains stared him down. "That very choice has been set before judges, political leaders - they make the same decisions day after day. Kill a few to save the m-many. That's the truth of it, Gordon. If only a trivial number have to die, then it will always be worth the loss."

He felt sick, and not just from whatever was coursing through him, neutralized by the same man - his friend - who had meant it for Penelope. His eye pricked with the sting of moisture, his head spinning to understand where it had all gone wrong.

Before Gordon could find the words, Brains was being pulled up by Parker, the older man leading the scientist away. They didn't go far as the Brains was deposited into a chair without resistance. Penelope was sitting next to him now, her arm looping over his shoulder and pulling him into her. Gordon didn't resist, his head resting on her shoulder as the first stray tear fell. 

They were supposed to find a killer - someone dark and sinister who deserved to go to prison, but this… 

Anguish overwhelmed the aquanaut, his fingers clutching to the woman beside him and even through the pain he found some sense of relief. Penelope was safe. The feel of her hand running up and down his arms was a clear sign of that. 

He just wished the world wasn't so dark right at this moment.

OoOoOoO

Months had gone by, the memories of that night fading as life seemed to demand they all move on. Without Brains, international rescue had slowed, the brothers opting to take rescues at a pace that would keep their 'birds intact. 

Replacing Brains had almost been detrimental to the continuation of the organization, their ships still requiring maintenance that the five of them couldn't keep up with. They'd opted for a combined effort - which included Professor Moffat and occasionally Tyco Reeves when his schedule allowed it. 

It still wasn't an ideal situation, but what else could they do. Brains had committed multiple counts of homicide. They all understood he would be serving a long sentence, even with how he had offered to assist the GDF continue their protection of the world. The scientist simply refused to let his talents go to waste in the secure facility. 

And they were thankful for it. 

It was the silver lining to a terrible blotch in their lives. 

Occasionally, they would get messages, telling of his time away from the family he'd sworn to protect. He would go into the treatment sessions he'd had with his psychologist, coming to terms with what he'd done. They were steps towards the apology the family had already accepted. They missed him, but the consequences were unavoidable.

So, with the klaxon of their next mission calling, the boys shut off the holoprojector and headed for their respective launch tubes, ready to save those who needed them.

And wishing they had saved the ones they couldn't.

**Author's Note:**

> D: .... I'm sorry


End file.
